The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for managing spreadsheets, and more particularly to a system and method for managing a standardized spreadsheet such as an industry model spreadsheet.
In many business transactions, data statements are provided to a company by a customer. The data statements may include any type of data required by the company such as financial data, product quality data, demographic data, identification data, advertising data, or any other type of data used by the company. Accordingly, the data statements may take one of a number of forms including financial statements, product data statements, insurance statements, applications, and the like. The data statements are typically analyzed using predefined analysis procedures and/or compared with other data statements including historic data statements such as data statements from the same and/or other customers. Business decisions, such as loan approvals, may then be based on the results of such analysis and comparisons.
Once received, the data statements are typically entered into a data analyzing system to compare them with other data statements and/or analyze them using a predefined analysis algorithm. To provide consistency and improve accuracy of the analysis process, the analyzing systems typically accept the data of the data statements via a standardized spreadsheet. Because the data statements may take any one of a number of forms, may vary between customers and reporting periods (i.e., the time periods at which reoccurring data statements are provided by the customer), and are typically not organized in a predefined format, the data statements are usually entered into the standardized spreadsheet by hand. The standardized spreadsheet may be standardized based on any criteria adopted by the company or industry using the spreadsheet. For example, the standardized spreadsheet may be standardized based on a type of product, service customer profile or any other criteria capable of improving the consistency and accuracy of the analysis process. The process of entering data from the data statement into the standardized spreadsheet is commonly known as “spreading” the data statement. However, because the data statements typically vary and are entered in by hand, among other adverse factors, the spreading process may be inaccurate, inconsistent, and inefficient.
One particular example of the difficulties associated with spreading data statements involves the financial industry. The financial industry utilizes financial industry model spreadsheets as standardized spreadsheets to organize the financial data provided by various customers and improve analysis of such data. The finance industry models are typically based on broad industry classifications such manufacturing, retail, and service industries. The financial data is provided to a finance company, such as a bank or loan company, by the customer in the form of a financial statement. The financial statement may be provided to the finance company via email, a fax, through online acquisition from a public reporting agency, or through other means of conveyance. Accordingly, the financial statement may be embodied as a spreadsheet or fax. The financial statements are typically routed first to a relations manager of the finance company. The relations manager forwards the statements to a financial analyst. The analyst then spreads the financial statement into the financial industry model spreadsheet (i.e., inaccurately spread). To do so, the analyst enters the financial data contained in the financial statement into the financial industry model spreadsheet. However, because the financial statements may vary over time and across different customers, inaccuracies and inconsistencies may occur. Once the financial statement has been spread, a financial data analyzing system may be used to analyze the financial data. However, if the financial data has been inaccurately entered into the financial industry model spreadsheet, the analysis will be inaccurate. Accordingly, any business decision, such as granting or denying a loan application, made by the relations manger based on such inaccurate analysis will be erroneous.